Game 49: Timberwolves at Raptors

The homestand continues as does the Black & Gold jerseys. Raptors looking for a little payback after week's loss as Minnesota comes to town

• Fred Van Vleet recently became a father. Congrats! But he will go tonight it appears. CJ Miles on the other hand is a late scratch due to some knee soreness
• Maybe in CJ's absence Norman Powell can get some minutes and make the most of them. Get some confidence back in front of the home crowd
• It's all hands on deck for the Timberwolves as no players are listed as OUT. They did play and lose in Atlanta last night so hopefully we can catch them on a back to back just like they caught us
• Also a big congrats to Dwane Casey and his coaching staff who will be heading to LA to Coach Team LeBron at the All Star Game next weekend

Tonight's Raptor Track!

The Mountain Goats - "Minnesota"

I'm not sure if the Timberwolves will be donning their flourescent green jerseys tonight or not, so just gonna pick a song with Minnesota as the title. It's The Mountain Goats from Claremont, California.and a cut from their 4th album Full Force Galesburg.

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Timber Beast

From the Lazy Magnolia Brewery out of Kiln, MS. It's Timber Beast beer! Crisp & Bold caramel flavour with grapefruit and citrusy pine aroma.

Raptors 2nd in East 33-15! Timberwolves 4th in West 32-21!

Game 48: Lakers at Raptors! OVO Night!

Shake off that bad loss and miracle shot by Ricky Rubio Friday night and come out strong tonight as a young and upcoming Lakers team comes to visit Toronto. Still in the Black & Gold today!

• Jonas Valanciunas had himself a career night on Friday scoring 28 points and coming up with 14 rebounds!  JV for MIP? Who says no?
• The Lakers will be without Lonzo Ball who is dealing with an MCL Sprain, which means the Canadian Tyler Ennis will likely get the start at PG
• As I said above the Raptors need to shake off that bad loss on Friday night, but they also need to drain open shots. The ball movement of this year has been great and thats the main reason for it.
• It's still OVO theme night at the ACC. Let's get back to a 500 record in those unis boys!

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Sam Sparro - "Black and Gold"

Enh, why not?

Tonight's Gameday Drink!

Black Gold Beer

Brought to us by the Central Waters Brewing Co. It's a heavier beer, an American Double / Imperial Stout. Though looks like it only a one time brew as it was a limited edition release.

Raptors 2nd in East 32-15! Lakers 11th in West 19-29!

Game 47: Jazz at Raptors! OVO Night!!

This one has been circled on the calendar all year! It's the unveiling of the Raptors' City Jerseys, which were inspired by Drake and OVO. The ACC floor will transformed to match the black and gold jerseys as the Utah Jazz make their only stop here in The North.

• All Star line ups have been announced and both DeMar and Kyle were picked by team Curry and will likely play against their Coach Dwane Casey as he'll be coaching team LeBron, if the Raptors can stay the course that is
• Utah Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell has been selected to represent Team USA in the Rising Stars challenge during All Star weekend. Well deserved, Mitchell is high on the Rookie of the Year radar and will likely have a long and successful career
• The Jazz will be without a few key players tonight. Namely Dante Exum, Thabo Sefolosha and Rodney Hood

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Rotary Connection - "I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun"

Rotary Connection were a Funk/Psychadelic Soul group coming out of Chicago in the late 60's. They were also the backing band on Muddy Waters' album Electric Mud. The song "I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun" has been sampled and remixed several times.

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Goldschlager

Even though this one of the grossest shits, Goldschlager is straight ballin' to drink tonight. It's got chips of gold in it and it will get you some drunk. We The North!

Raptors 2nd in East 32-14! Jazz 10th in West 20-28!

Game 46: Raptors at Hawks!

Alright we're back! After a little, mini-break the Raptors are wheels down in Atlanta to take on the bottom of the East dwelling Hawks. But this is still the NBA and anyone can win at any time.

• Congratulations to Kyle Lowry who has been named as an Eastern All Star reserve! This will mark his 4th All-Star appearance, all have come as a member of the Toronto Raptors!
• Neither team has any injured or sidelined players to speak of, so there aren't any excuses for a full 48 minute effort from either team
• Congrats to Atlanta's John Collins for being picked for the Rising Stars Challenge at All Star weekend, representing team USA.
• Look for the Atlanta Hawks to be a team making some moves come trade deadline. They might decide to do a deal with a contending team for future picks and to ensure a higher pick in this year's draft

Tonight's Raptor Track!

John Mayer - "Why Georgia?"

John Mayer saw his height of popularity in the early 2000's with songs like "Your Body Is A Wonderland", "Bigger Than My Body" and 'Why Georgia". He still plays and writes music and has been doing a stage show with Dave Chappelle as of late which has gotten some rave reviews

Tonight's Game Day Drink

Goldhawk Pale Ale

With a colour scheme like that one might think this is Drake's beer brand. Alas no, Goldhawk Pale Ale is brought to us by a New Zealand brewery and has rave reviews online not for it's taste, but for it's bottle design

Raptors 2nd in East 31-14! Hawks 14th in East 14-32!

Game 45: Raptors at Timberwolves!

Yeah that's right. The Raptors beat the Spurs. Deal. Toronto hits the road for another game against the Western Conference tonight as they meet the Minnesota Timberwolves for the first time this year.

• As I mentioned above this is the first time the Raptors are seeing the TWolves this year. The new look Timberwolves I should say as Minnesota had a bit of an overhaul this past Summer. They added some big names like Jimmy Butler, Jeff Teague and Taj Gibson.
• Much like Toronto, Minnesota is in a rare situation where they are expected to make waves in the post-season while at the same time developing their youth. Players like Karl Anthony Towns, Namenja Bjelica and Canadian phenom Andrew Wiggins are rising stars in their own right
• Likely the only player out is Fred Van Vleet for Toronto. This is going to be a tough one for the Raptors especially on a back to back after a game with the Spurs

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Kittie - "Wolves"

Kittie are a heavy metal group from London, Ontario. Originally known for having all female members, they have had a man join the group from time to time. "Wolves" is from their dark-themed, sophomore album Oracle released in 2001.

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Minnesota Gold Lager

Minnesota is a state known for it's many craft breweries and distilleries. Minnesota Gold Lager comes from the Third Street Brewhouse in Cold Spring, MN.

Raptors 2nd in East 31-13! Timber Wolves 4th in West 29-18!

Game 44: Spurs at Raptors!

Still at home and back on the winning side of things! It doesn't get any easier though as the San Antonio Spurs make their only visit to Toronto on their yearly Rodeo tour!

• Rudy Gay, Manu Ginobli and Kawhi Leonard are all sitting this one out for the Spurs. Those are some big names, but as DeMar DeRozan mentioned earlier today The Spurs can beat you with any player at anytime
• Raptors are only down Fred Van Vleet tonight. He sat the game against Detroit due to an injured sustained in Monday's game
• Last time Toronto played the Spurs Kyle Anderson and Davis Bertrans gave the Raptors fits. A solid 48 minute performance is needed for a victory tonight
• Also big congrats to DeMar DeRozan for being named to his 4th All-Star Game! And his 2nd time as a starter! Thanks for having us Deebo!!

Tonight's Raptor Track!

King Kyle Lee - "All Spurs Everything"

Looks like this was a hype track made for their playoff run in 2013. The Spurs are basically on a permanent Championship Run so this is just as suitable today as it was then

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Grindstone Amber Ale

No really Spur tie-in this week, just a beer I happen to enjoy. I guess both teams are known to play a grind it out style, so let's go with that! Brought to us by Broadhead brewery in Ottawa, ON. It's Grindstone Amber Ale!

Raptors 2nd in East 30-13! Spurs 3rd in West 30-16!

Game 43: Pistons at Raptors!

Raptors need to get back on the winning track tonight, and will look to do so against the visiting Detroit Pistons. There's always an odd energy about the game when these two teams get up to tangle

• Kyle Lowry made his return Monday in an afternoon game with the 76ers. He's missed the 3 games before that with a bruised tailbone. Though he didn't have the best game he showed heart going after loose rebounds. He did let rookie Ben Simmons get under his skin though, which is what those 76ers are good at.
• Fred Van Vleet went down awkwardly during that game though and is listed as day to day. No word yet if he'll play tonight
• The Pistons will be without Reggie Jackson and John Leuer. Stanley Johnson and Avery Bradley are listed as day to day and missed today's practice. 

Tonight's Raptor Track!

Bob Seger - "Detroit Made"

Kind of a new one from Bob Seger. Not sure if it will end up being one of his classics like "Night Moves" or "Mainstreet", but it's got that Motor City rustic feel.

Tonight's Game Day Drink!

Piston Broke

Brought to us the Box Steam Brewery in Trowbridge, England. The Piston Broke is a golden ale with good bitterness and roastedness. Overall a good toffee beer

Raptors 2nd in East 29-11! Pistons 8th in East 22-20!